Critics react to Antonin Scalia's death with onslaught of insults
Rather than extend condolences, thousands of critics took to Twitter overnight to insult U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, an influential conservative who was found dead on Saturday morning at a residence in West Texas. He was 79.
Vocativ used our deep web technology to analyze more than 900,000 tweets mentioning Scalia in the hours after his death, finding that more than 20,000 of them used a variety of slurs to describe him.
See more about the life of Antonin Scalia:
The no. 1 insult was "racist," used 7,574 times from Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning. Some of that sentiment may be rooted in backlash over his views on affirmative action policies in universities. In a December affirmative action case, he said: "I don't think it stands to reason that it's a good thing for the University of Texas to admit as many blacks as possible." He suggested that some black students may be better off at "less advanced" schools, causing a wave of uproar.
The second most-used insult was "bigot," posted 3,376 times. Others called him a homophobe and fascist.
BTW it isn't inappropriate to note that Antonin Scalia was a horrid regressive bigoted little toad who vastly harmed this nation.
— Amadi is Quasi-Hiatused-Ish (@amaditalks) February 13, 2016
Scalia, considered the Supreme Court's most provocative member, advocated Constitutional originalism, interpreting the Constitution through the perceived original intent of its creators. That put him on the opposing side of issues like same-sex marriage and affirmative action. He championed the rights of an individual to bear arms, and advocated for a criminal defendant's right to a fair and speedy trial.
Some remembered Scalia fondly. "He was an extraordinary individual and jurist, admired and treasured by his colleagues," said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, according to the Associated Press. "His passing is a great loss to the Court and the country he so loyally served. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Maureen and his family."
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid described Scalia as a brilliant man and a dedicated jurist and public servant.
The post Critics React To Antonin Scalia's Death With Onslaught Of Insults appeared first on Vocativ.
Reaction to Scalia's death poured in:
